Fernie Snowboard Instructor Course

As soon as we experienced Fernie we knew that it would be the ideal location to spend a season becoming a snowboard instructor. The resort comprises five bowls, with the longest vertical drop in the Canadian Rockies, but it's the massive annual snowfall along with it’s the expanse of ungroomed terrain that really sets Fernie apart. You can pick a powder-filled path anywhere within this massive in-bounds area, with a variety of open bowls, tree runs, natural hits and gullies.

Ride with a like minded group. Our Fernie 11 week snowboard instructor course is the most popular programme of its kind on the market. This means that you’ll have a massive group of instant friends as soon as you arrive in town. Also, with training groups kept to an absolute maximum of 8 people we split our snowboarders into several groups of similarly skilled riders. So you’ll never feel like you’re held back or holding back others.

Learn from the best. We have an amazing team of high level snowboard instructors in Fernie, many of which have been with us since the very beginning. They'll spend over 220 hours on the slope with you, and plenty more off it, refining your technique and showing you the very best areas of the mountain. Of course, we’ll also teach you how to pass on your skills to others, in preparation for your CASI level 1 & 2 instructor qualifications.

Not interested in becoming a snowboard instructor? Not everyone comes on a snowboard instructor course to actually become an instructor, and we have the perfect alternative if that’s the case for you. After you've completed your Level 1 exams in week 5 you can opt to join our "AMP" programme for the remainder of the course. With AMP, you'll spend six weeks honing your riding skills, while still working towards specific goals, without having to worry about Level 2 teaching training.

Under Ryan’s wing. We’re incredibly lucky to have Ryan Frazer as our Technical Director in Fernie. His snowboarding CV is crammed with achievements, being a Level 4 instructor and Level 2 examiner with a massive amount of freestyle, slalom and competitive boardercross experience. As well as being one of your instructors, Ryan will always be on hand to make sure that you are happy and fully supported on the course.

Not just any accommodation. You’re going to spend the best part of the season in resort, so we want to make sure that you can relax and feel at home. We have bought our own 42 bedroom lodge in Fernie, and renovated it specifically to be the perfect course accommodation. The en-suite rooms are spacious with queen sized beds and the onsite facilities include games room, sauna, hot tub, movie room, restaurant, bar and kit tuning room, as well as several communal kitchens and lounges. As an alternative, for those looking for a more independent experience, we also have several shared houses around downtown Fernie.

Extra activities with Nonstop. We want to make sure that you have the season of your life and have an amazing time on and off the mountain. Your course host will be on hand to help you settle in and to organise loads of social events. What’s more though, we’ll start you off with 25 "Activity Credits". With these you’ll be able to experience amazing new mountain activities, from cat-boarding, to winter camping, to curling! Check out a full list of activities below.

Getting instructing experience under your belt. For several years now, we have proudly been running “Community Days” in Fernie. These take place between CASI Level 1 and Level 2 exams, and allow you to get real hands-on instructing experience. We give under-privileged locals the opportunity to go to a ski hill and get free equipment hire, lift passes and instruction for the day. As newly qualified instructors, you then take the helm of your own lessons! This is an amazing experience to have on your CV, and one that will be very useful when you come to applying for your first snowboard instructor job.